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Xichui yaolüe 西陲要略, also called Xinjiang yaolüe 新疆要略, is a book on Xinjiang compiled by the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Qi Yunshi 祁韻士 (1751-1815), courtesy name Hehao 鶴皋 or Xieting 諧庭, style Yunlu 筠祿 or Fangshan 訪山. Qi was supervisor of one of the capital mints (Baoquanju jiandu 宝泉局监督). In 1804 he was charged of embezzlement and was exiled to Ili (Ch. Yili 伊犁).
The book of 4 juan is more or less an abbreviated version of the official book Xichui zongtong shilüe 西陲總統事略, in the arrangment of which Qi also took part.
The first part of the Xichui yaolüe is dedicated to administrative geography and topography, as well as garrisons and military posts. The second fascicle describes the courier routes and defense posts, as well as the military organization in Xinjiang, including the number of troops in each garrison. The third part informs the reader about military agro-colonies and their organization, military training , and horse breeding. The last part is on the tribes of the region, their history and customs and habits.
Qi saw his book as an addition to Cišiyi's 七十一 (d. 1785?) Xiyu wenjian lu 西域聞見錄. He made use of many quotations from the official chronicle of the Dzunghar war, Pingding Zhunga'er fanglüe 平定準噶爾方略, in the course of which Xinjiang was conquered by the Qing.
The text is included in a collection of Qi Yunshi's writings (Qi Yunshi zhushu wu zhong 祁韻士著述五種), and the series Yueyatang congshu xuji 粵雅堂叢書續集, Huangchao fanshu yudi congshu 皇朝藩屬輿地叢書 and Xiaofanghuzhai yudi congchao 小方壺齋輿地叢鈔. There were many prints of the book published during the 19th century.
| 1 | Geography of the routes south and north of the Tianshan Range 南北兩路疆域總敘, mountains and rivers 南北兩路山水總敘, military posts (Man. karun, Mong. qaraɣun, Ch. kalun) 南北兩路卡倫總敘, courier stations (juntai) of the two routes 南北兩路軍臺總目 |
| 2 | Fortifications of the two routes 南北兩路城堡總目, officials of the two routes 南北兩路職官總目, app. number of troops 附兵額 |
| 3 | Troops in Ili 伊犁駐兵書始、military garrisons in Ili 伊犁興屯書始, app. hydraulic works of the three colonies 附三屯水利, training 訓練, horse breeding 牧養 |
| 4 | History of the Torɣut 土爾扈特源流, the Kazakhs 哈薩克源流, the Burut (Qirqiz 布魯特源流, the route to Kokand 霍罕路程記, ancient affairs of the Oyirad 厄魯特舊俗紀聞, of the Uyghurs 回俗紀聞 |